Home Economics

1. FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ZARIA
AFFILIATED TO USMANU DAN-FODIO UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION
COURSE TITLE:
PRE-VOCATIONAL STUDIES1 (HOME ECONOMICS)
COURSE CODE:
ECON201
TOPIC:
WHAT IS HOME ECONOMICS?
STUDENT’S NAME:
YUNUSA JAMILU
REG. NO:
21261401029
Date:
MAY, 2022

2. 1
Introduction
Home Economics focuses on the inter-relationships between diet, health, family, resources and
home, and man’s physical, economic, social and aesthetic needs. Hence, the central concern is
the optimal quality of life of individuals and family; it recognizes the family as the most
important influence in the nurture, care and education of its members.
Through the goal-setting of empowering individuals, strengthening families and enabling
communities, Home Economics aims to help students to lead effective lives, not only as
individuals, but also, as members of a family and the community, within the context of a
culturally, socially and economically diverse society. Overall, Home Economics encompasses
the learning and mastery of knowledge and skills which enable students to develop and maintain
lifelong healthful behaviours, become productive citizens and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Meaning and Definition of Home Economics
Home Economics is a field of study that is primarily concerned with strengthening family life
and increasing productivity of individuals in the social economy. It synthesis knowledge from
arts and science based disciplines to improve manipulative skills, organizational skills and social
skills.
According to James (2003) Home Economics is a broad field of knowledge and services
concerned with all phases of family life. Lemchi (2001) also noted that Home Economics is a
skill oriented subject which is capable of equipping the individuals with basic skills and
knowledge that will help them to be self-reliant and thereby contribute to the social and
economic development of the individual, the family and the nation at large. Some of the careers
open to a Home Economics include designing clothes, clothing retailers, home services
representative; food specialist, home economist in journalism, nutrition and dietetics, family and
child development, catering advertising, magazines and public relation writing, television,
publications, business and industry.
Home Economics is also a diversified field of knowledge that involves education and research in
many areas including: food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, family life and Human
Development, Household and Institutional resource management and community Health.

3. 2
Areas in Home Economics
There are seven areas or branches central to Home Economics. These are:
1. Cooking: Since food preparation was central to homemaking, cooking is one of the earliest
disciplines in home economics. Early home economics programs taught women how to cook
a balanced meal, and included food safety and preservation. Additionally, they studied how
to properly set a table and learned how to host meals, not only for their immediate families,
but for larger groups as well. This element of traditional economics still exists today for both
men and women in culinary schools, culinary programs for family and consumer sciences
students, and in nutrition degrees.
2. Child Development: In addition to cooking and nutrition, home economics students were
taught how to rear children. This included learning about the stages of child development and
how to correctly respond to children at each stage. Today, students who study family and
consumer sciences still learn child development, which has become so significant that it is, in
many places, it's own major.
3. Education and Community Awareness: Since women were the first educators for their
children, teaching them basic reading and math skills before they entered school, it was
significant for them to understand how best to teach these skills. Though education and
community awareness, which included moral and ethical lessons, were originally a part of
the home economics education, it has become so significant today that elementary education
has branched into its own field of study -- but one that is still dominated by women.
4. Home Management and Design: Early women who studied home economics learned the the
elements of design in order to better decorate and care for their homes. This area of study
also included cleaning and organization, which was significant because homemakers were
expected to keep the house clean and organized. Today, individuals who study family and
consumer sciences use these skills to enter design fields where they thrive as designers,
decorators, organization gurus and real estate staging experts.
5. Sewing and Textiles: Another of the earliest skills taught to home economics students,
sewing was significant to the lesson plans because many women sewed not only their own
clothes, but clothes for their children. Additionally, this skill came in handy when clothing
needed mending. Because patterns require certain types of materials, an understanding of

4. 3
textiles was useful. This element of the traditional areas of home economics is still relevant
today as family and consumer science majors enter and thrive in fashion design and
merchandising fields.
6. Budgeting and Economics: In addition to cooking, child rearing, home planning and sewing,
home economics students learned how to budget. Because women did all, or most, of the
family shopping, they were expected to understand how to spend wisely and make the most
judicious use of available funds. Today, this traditional element of home economics is still
relevant in family and consumer science programs as students learn to properly budget,
balance and invest income.
7. Health and Hygiene: In addition to caring for the home, students who studied home
economics learned how to properly care for sick family members. This included sanitation,
keeping the sick family member fed and quarantined from the healthy, and at-home
treatments for common illnesses. Today, some family and consumer science programs offer
this information to students, though it is not commonly its own area of study any longer.
Conclusion
Home Economics is important as it teaches people how to live a good healthy and happy life in
the family, community, nation and in the world. It prepares boys and girls for home making and
the jobs that requires Home Economics knowledge. And teaches people how to care for
themselves, their homes, family and society. It teaches people how to spend their money wisely,
how to plan, cook, serve and eat good food. It also teaches people how to plan, choose, make
wears and maintain good clothing.
References
James M.B. (2003), Utilizing Home Economics Education for National Building 33rd Home
Economics Teachers Association of Nigeria Conference Proceeding.

5. 4
Lemchi S.N (2001), Incorporation Contemporary issues into Nigeria Home Economics
Curriculum. Research Imperative Challenges for Home Economics in Nigeria. Research
Association of Nigeria (HERAN), Nsukka Nigeria